Hi-Linersâ€™ Viland, Coghlan, Jacob place at state meet in Bismarck

May 28, 2012

Photos by Deb Beilke/Special to the Times-Record
Left to right: Valley City High School seniors Jenna Coghlan, Paul Viland and Jenna Jacob all finished their high school careers placing at the state meet in Bismarck.

Valley City High School track and field coach Trevor Bakalar said the state meet in Bismarck over the weekend was full of ups and downs for his teams.
Although there was a bit of disappointment â€” namely, the Hi-Linersâ€™ 4x100 and 4x200 girls relay teams and senior sprinter Molly Willson missing the finals â€” there was also the delight that three seniors got from placing in their final season.
Pole vaulter Paul Viland, the only member of the boys team to make the trip, and girls javelin thrower Jenna Coghlan each took fourth place in their event. Sprinter Jenna Jacob also placed individually for the the first time in her career, taking sixth in the 100 meter dash.
â€śThat was really good way for those seniors to finish off their careers,â€ť Bakalar said.
The team seemed poised to do well based on Friday alone, when Viland and Coghlan had their events.
Viland finished his career with a personal best vault of 13 feet, only three inches shy of the school record and a top three finish.
In the javelin, Coghlan didnâ€™t show any signs of fatigue, despite having played in an Eastern Dakota Conference softball tournament game the night before in Fargo.
She put together a top throw of 112-1, the best of any EDC athlete at the meet, but five feet short of the top three.
â€śI knew there were going to be a lot of tough girls from out west,â€ť Coghlan said. â€śI still got number one in the EDC, which Iâ€™m happy about.â€ť
Bakalar said the key for her was being relaxed, despite the state environment.
â€śShe never felt any pressure,â€ť he said.
The team didnâ€™t have the same luck with its sprinters.
Willson, who was the quickest sprinter on the team for most of the season, missed the finals in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes by narrow margins.
â€śIt was a little disappointing for her,â€ť Bakalar said, noting she struggled recently with an injury.
Willson and Jacob were also part of relay teams that also narrowly missed the finals.
Bakalar said the relay teams put up times similar to what they had been throughout the season and was pleased with the effort.
â€śI really thought we would make it just the way we had been running,â€ť he said.
Jacob also missed qualifying in the 200, but made the 100.
She was Valley Cityâ€™s only representative in Saturday events and finished sixth in the 100. It was the only time sheâ€™s placed individually at a state meet, Bakalar said.